Kelowna

Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan made several stops around the Okanagan Monday assessing flood relief efforts and thanking military personnel.

Sajjan's first stop was in Kelowna at the Kelowna Armoury.

"This is about saying thank you to the members in the Canadian Armed Forces for their tremendous work and to let them know that their government is there to thank them and also to look after them," Sajjan said.

Sajjan stressed that it's all about having the right resources on the ground.

"We won't set an arbitrary date on departure. We are looking at the various times flooding can peak, but also looking at the potential threats of forest fires."

"Any decision that is made is done in consultation with the provincial government and emergency folks to make sure we have all the tools necessary," Sajjan added.

There are roughly 350 members of the Canadian Forces assisting with flood relief efforts in the Okanagan and Grand Forks regions with other military assets and personnel on standby.

Sajjan will head to Green Bay in West Kelowna and then conclude his tour in Penticton.